30) Philippa Fisher’s Fairy Godsister

Bibliography: Kessler, Liz; Philippa Fisher’s Fairy Godsister; Candlewick Press; Cambridge, Mass; 2007; 274 pages; ISBN 978-0-7636-4070-5.

Plot: After Philippa’s best friend Charlotte moves to the country with her family for a life of simplicity, Philippa wonders if she will ever be happy again.  To make matters worse, she is the laughing stock of her sixth grade class.  Her parents often humiliate her when they drop off or pick her up from school.  When a new girl starts school, Philippa is given the task of making sure she gets settled in at school.  Daisy is actually Philippa’s fairy godmother.  Except Daisy hates humans and wants to give Phillipa her three wishes as soon as possible so she can get a new job.  Will Daisy be able to fulfill her job as Philippa’s fairy godmother and grant her three wishes before her life cycle is over?

Review:  This story begins as Philippa is saying goodbye to her best friend Charlotte.  Philippa is quite sad about the move and is questioning if they will be able to be friends when they aren’t able to talk to each other every day.  When Philippa sees a daisy in the field behind her house, she believes that it is special and believes it will become a fairy at midnight.  Unfortunately, she gets scared and ends up throwing the Daisy out of the window before she can see what becomes of it. 

Daisy is a fairy godmother that does not like working with humans.  When she awakens as a fairy after Philippa has thrown her out the window, she dislikes humans even more.  Unfortunately, she still must complete the task of giving Philippa three wishes before her life cycle ends in eight days. 

The book is told through both Philippa and Daisy’s narration.  It is quite great to see the inner thoughts of both characters as they move through their friendship.  This book shows the bond of friendship and how to overcome fears.  It is a great model of how girls can overcome what holds them back.

 

Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Godmothers

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry; The Cat Who Wished to be a Man by Lloyd Alexander; Page by Tamora Pierce.

Series Information:  This is the first of three books about Philippa Fisher.  Kessler has stated that she has no intention of writing any other books about Philippa.

Author Information: http://www.lizkessler.co.uk/